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αὐτὸς ἐκτήσατο: or possessed himself of the sacred symbols without help from others, i. e. by direct inspiration or by his own inventive powers, cf. ii. 49. 2. According to the scholiast on Pindar, Pyth. ii. 27, Deinomenes (cf. sup.) brought the rites from the Carian Triopium.

It would seem that the position of Hierophant must of necessity belong to the holder of the ἱρά and his descendants; probably what had been a mere family worship was raised to the rank of a mystery recognized by the state, the priesthood remaining hereditary in the family of Telines (cf. iii. 142. 4; iv. 161. 3), as at Eleusis it was confined to the Eumolpidae. The priestly office was held by Gelo and Hiero (Pind. Ol. vi. 95 with schol.), the former building from the spoils of his victory over Carthage two temples in one precinct to the goddesses in Syracuse (Diod. xi. 26; xiv. 63). There was a great oath by the goddess described by Plutarch, Dion. c. 56; cf. Diod. xix. 5.

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